Simsbury To Consider Hiring Town Manager

SIMSBURY — A committee appointed to examine whether the town should change its form of government and hire a town manager will start its work next month.

The selectmen this week appointed a study committee -- five Democrats and five Republicans -- and a chairman, former finance board member Geoffrey H. Dale, a Republican.

The committee was established in response to a consultant's report in January on the organization and staffing of town hall. The report, prepared by Personnel Management Associates of Milford, recommends the town should consider changing the form of government from board of selectmen/first selectman to an appointed town manager and elected town council.

Michael Wade, the Democratic town committee chairman, said the study committee can evaluate the issue of a town manager without facing the legal requirements of a charter revision commission.

``A charter revision commission by statute has to hear everything,'' Wade said. ``A study commission can limit its focus to one thing . . . You can get a fair and open discussion about the merits of a town manager.''

The last charter commission that was convened in 1994, discussed, but made no recommendations concerning the town manager.

First Selectwoman Mary Glassman said the town has an obligation to study the issue.

``A change in Simsbury's form of government is a significant issue that needs to be closely studied, with a lot of public review and comment,'' she said.

Thomas Young, Republican town chairman, first expressed doubts about whether a study committee is needed when Glassman approached the parties for volunteers.

``I want to make the highest and best use of volunteer time. We've looked at this three times in the last eight years,'' said Young, who favors the current form of government. ``I'm openly questioning whether this is the best use of volunteer resources. I happen to think it is not.'' He added the Republican members would ``approach it with an open mind.''

Dale said he will make sure that politics are kept out of the deliberations.

``The town manager issue has been a political issue since the early 1960s. It should not be a political issue and it should be evaluated on a nonpartisan basis for the benefit of the community,'' he said.

Democratic members appointed to the study committee are zoning board of appeals secretary Thomas Horan; former selectman Christopher Kelly; John Molloy, who chaired the last charter commission; Suzanne Piotrowicz, a member of a charter revision commission that issued a report in 1992; and Lori Schwartz.

Republicans on the committee are board of assessment appeals member John Bruno; Albert Castricum; Carol Davis; Susan Glasspiegle; and zoning board of appeals Chairman Peter Stempien.

Dale said the committee would start meeting in October, with a report expected early next year.